Jewelry clasp



J. P. M VINNEY JEWELRY CLASP May 1, 1956 Filed June 28, 1954 A flI/NVENTOR. i BY *7 United States Patent JEWELRY CLASP John P. McVinney, Providence, R. L, assignor to Coro, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Island Application June 28, 1954, Serial No. 439,605

Claims. (Cl. 24-252) The present invention relates to jewelry constructions, and has particular reference to a novel clasp for an earring or brooch.

A standard type of clasp as used for earrings, brooches, and the like includes a base to which an ornament is secured, and a movable jaw pivotally mounted on the base and including a spring element slidably engaging an abutment on the base and resiliently urging the jaw towards the ornament. One disadvantage found in this type of clasp is that opening movement of the jaw is not controlled or limited in extent, whereby the spring element may be placed under excessive tension and become weakened and inoperative for the desired clasping.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel construction for the clasp which includes a positive limit for opening movement of the jaw, thus preventing too large an opening movement and undue tensioning and resulting weakening of the spring element.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clasp base which has a stop recess into which the spring element is slidably received.

A further object of the invention is the formation of the spring element with stop parts which are positioned to limit opening movement of the clasp parts to a predetermined extent.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings,

Fig. l is a rear view of an illustrative earring arrangement having a base and a movable jaw embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the jaw being in clasping relation;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the jaw being in open relation;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the movable jaw;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the base finding;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

It has been found desirable to provide a clasp for an earring, brooch or similar jewelry article which has a base and movable jaw pivoted to the base and spring pressed inwardly towards the base, the parts being formed so that movement of the jaw away from the base is stopped at a predetermined point. To this end, I form the jaw with an integral spring tongue, the free end of the tongue having stop parts, and I form the base with a recess, preferably in the shape of a cut-out opening, into which the free end of the tongue may slide until the tongue stop parts engage and lock against the walls of the recess.

Referring to the drawings, the illustrative earring 10 includes a base 11 to which an ornament 12 of suitable type is secured, anda jaw 13 which is pivotally mounted on thebase for movement towards and away from the ornament 12.

The base 11 is preferably of stamped metal, and includes a central section 14 with an inclined, narrowed, outwardly projecting portion 15 constituting an abutment, an ornament mounting support 16 extending at right angles from the lower edge of the central section and to which the ornament 12 is secured, as by soldering, and two wings 17, 18 which extend outwardly from the sides of the central section and preferably slightly diverge as illustrated in Fig. 6, and which have terminal cars 19, 20 provided with aligned pivot openings 21, 22. The rear portion of the central section 14 has a recess opening 23, preferably in the form of a cut-out rectangle, with side portions 24, 25 which serve as stop parts as hereinafter described.

The jaw 13 includes an upper portion 26 which is curved to function as an ear lobe gripping part, two spaced arcuate bars 27, 28 depending from the upper portion and with their lower edges provided with laterally extending pivot pins 29, 30, adapted to seat within the base pivot openings 21, 22, and an intermediate arcuate spring tongue 31 which depends from the upper portion and has a reduced rounded lower end terminal 32 forming stop shoulders 33, 34 with the body of the spring tongue. The tongue 31 slidably seats on the base abutment 15 under tension, see Fig. 2, to resiliently urge the jaw towards the ornament, and slides over the rear surface of the base central section when the jaw is opened, see Fig. 3, whereupon the terminal 32 enters into the recess opening 23 until the stop shoulders 33, 34 engage the side portions 24, 25. The extent of opening movement is controlled by the spacing of the stop shoulders 33, 34, positioning the shoulders further from the terminal 32 provides a greater opening movement, and positioning the shoulders nearer the terminal 32 correspondingly reduces the extent of opening.

It is thus clear that the combination of a stop shoulder on the spring tongue and a base recess opening with a stop edge portion provides a simple and effective limit for opening movement of the movable jaw; changes in the positioning of the cooperating stop parts, and in their size, shape and arrangement, may be made to meet different clasp requirements, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A movable jaw for a jewehy clasp having an upper portion, spaced ribs depending from the upper portion and having lateral pivot pins at their lower ends, and a spring tongue intermediate the spaced ribs and having a reduced end and a stop shoulder between the reduced end and the spring tongue body.

2. A movable jaw for a jewelry clasp having an upper portion, spaced ribs depending from the upper portion and having lateral pivot pins at their lower ends, and a spring tongue intermediate the spaced ribs and having a reduced end providing stop shoulders at each side thereof between the reduced end and the spring tongue body.

3. In a jewelry clasp, a base having a central section, an ornament mounting support extending upwardly from the rear edge of the section, and wings extending upwardly from the sides. of the section and having terminal ears with aligned pivot openings, said central section including a rear portion having a recess opening and a forward portion having an abutment, and a jaw having an upper portion, spaced bars depending from the upper portion and having laterally extending pivot pins at their lower ends seated in the ear pivot openings, and an intermediate spring tongue depending from the upper portion and slidably seating on said abutment and tensioned thereby for closing movement of said jaw towards an ornament mounted on said support, the lower terminal of the spring tongue extending into the recess opening upon opening movement of the jaw, said lower terminal having a stop engageable with the central section rear portion for limiting opening movement of the spring tongue.

4. In the structure of claim 3, said tongue free end being of reduced width in relation to the tongue body and 10 providing a stop shoulder between the tongue free end and the tongue body.

5. In the structure of claim 3, said tongue free end being of reduced width and providing stop shoulders between its sides and the sides of the tongue body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,583,988 Ballou Jan. 29, 1952 

